Montana
Healing Beneath the Surface: Underwater Soldiers Clean Montana's Waterways and Their Souls
GREAT FALLS — From the surface, Montana’s lakes and rivers may appear pristine — but just below, hidden trash paints a different picture. Fortunately, one group is diving in to help, and they’re finding healing along the way.
JAMES ROLIN REPORTS – WATCH:
Underwater Soldiers help clean Montana’s waterways and their souls
Service, Submerged: Veterans Take on Waterway Pollution
Underwater Soldiers, a non-profit based in Great Falls, is made up of certified SCUBA-diving military veterans who volunteer their time to clean Montana waterways. Their most recent cleanup at Gates of the Mountains marked a record-breaking haul.
“This is the most trash we’ve picked up to date,” said Mike Lukas, co-founder of Underwater Soldiers Great Falls Chapter. “So congratulations, everyone. Give yourselves a hand.”
Trash enters Montana’s waterways through runoff, rain, or littering — and it accumulates in hard-to-reach areas. Volunteers recovered hundreds of pounds of debris, including unusual finds like metal rails, pipes, a toilet, and even a large carpet.
“It’s always a puzzle,” said diver Daniel Hurd. “What does this even go to? Who knows?”
More Than Cleanup: Diving as Therapy
For these veterans, the mission is about more than trash. Many members of Underwater Soldiers have faced physical injuries and emotional trauma. SCUBA diving offers them an unexpected but powerful form of therapy.
“I was not the type that wanted to get out,” said Hurd, a former Army Ranger who was medically retired after a Stryker vehicle accident. “Alcoholism took over my life… and I’ve been sober now for six years.”
SCUBA diving helps veterans regain purpose and accountability.
“If you want to do well underwater, you’ve got to make sure your stuff is working. It creates that self-accountability again,” Hurd explained. “All of a sudden you’re checking in with a teammate… it’s familiar turf.”
Support That Extends to Families
The organization also brings together veterans’ families, creating a community where healing extends beyond the dive site. After a hard day of work, volunteers share food, laughter, and connection.
“He talks to people. He’s talking to you with the camera — and that wouldn’t have happened without Underwater Soldiers,” said Starlette Hurd, Daniel’s wife. “That’s a fact.”
Breathing Life Back In
Underwater Soldiers is helping restore both Montana’s waters and Montana’s veterans, one dive at a time.
“Feeling like a soldier that couldn’t breathe in the world I lived in… all of a sudden Mike and them taught me how I could breathe underwater,” Hurd said. “And that was, oh man — yeah. I can breathe in life again.”
Are you or someone you know a military veteran or current servicemember suffering from PTSD? You can contact UWS on Facebook here or at the organization’s main website here.
And if you’ve ever wondered where the term SCUBA comes from – it’s an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
Although newly minted GOP candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have garnered heavyweight endorsements, the Montana Republican Party said Thursday it won’t throw its support behind any candidates for federal office in the primary.
“The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) stands behind its deep bench of qualified candidates seeking to represent Montanans and supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates,” the Montana GOP said in a news release Thursday.
Monday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he was retiring due to health concerns once his term ends, and he immediately tapped talk-show host Aaron Flint as his preferred successor in Congress.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski also filed for the U.S. House as Republicans, as did Ray Curtis of Bonner.
Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew, and in a statement the same night, announced an endorsement of former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who had filed the same day.
In the Senate, Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child also filed to run in the Republican primary.
Endorsements for Flint and Alme cascaded. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed both candidates, and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte threw their weight behind Flint and Alme.
Late on Wednesday, the Montana GOP did not immediately have comment on the news Daines, Montana’s senior U.S. senator, had resigned, but Thursday, the party thanked Zinke and Daines for their service.
A news release said the party would not endorse any candidates in the federal primary and would leave the job in the hands of voters.
“The party hopes every candidate will make their case to the public, contrasting their Republican policies and principles with those of Democrats — as well as phony ‘Independents,’” the news release said.
Former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced a run for the U.S. Senate as an independent this week.
A tension within the Republican party has emerged in recent years between hardline conservatives and more moderate members, and some legislative primaries illustrate the split.
This week, the state GOP said the number of primaries for state legislative seats shows a high interest from Montanans who want to serve the state and pass Republican policy, and the MTGOP “is glad to see so many Republicans being called to public service.”
In a brief call, MTGOP spokesperson Ethan Holmes said the party had not ruled out endorsements in legislative primaries.
In the news release, however, the MTGOP offered its view of the larger political debate.
“Montana voters know that beyond the primaries, there is a clear choice between Republican and Democratic governance; one path leads to lower taxes, less crime and stronger families, and the other leads to higher taxes, more crime, and social decay,” MTGOP Chairperson Art Wittich said in a statement.
The news release also said the state GOP is working “tirelessly to deliver a Bright Red Future” at both the state and federal level and looks forward to help candidates whom voters select win in November.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing
33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 4 drawing
01-07-08-27, Bonus: 12
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing
05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 4 drawing
03-04-06-08-10
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing
12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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